


I'm Sort of Seeing Someone...

by dream_maker



Category: Big Brother RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-27
Updated: 2015-03-01
Packaged: 2018-03-15 11:21:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3445232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dream_maker/pseuds/dream_maker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zach has to tell Frankie that he started dating someone in Florida. A girl. Frankie is none too pleased and has had it with Zach.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

His phone lit up and Frankie’s name flashed on the screen. Zach hesitated before reluctantly picking up the phone, “Hey Frankie, what’s up dude?”

“ _Dude_? Aren’t we past that Zach?” Frankie laughed.

Zach forced out a chuckle and Frankie immediately sensed something was wrong. He had a gut feeling that this phone call was not going to end well.  They hadn’t spoken in a almost a week and things remained pretty undefined between them after an up and down month in New York. 

Trying to shake off his concerns, he continued, “So I just wanted to tell you that I’m going to be in Florida in a few days! I’m hand delivering three of Ari’s dogs to Nonna’s house. They don’t travel well so she isn’t taking them on tour with her.  I’m going to her first show in Kansas City then will fly from there to Florida on Thursday and be there for a couple days. I know you’re working the Honda Classic but I figure you’ll be free in the evening so we can finally see each other. I miss you so much Zach.”

Zach didn’t reply right away, then slowly said, “I miss you too Frankie but…” Zach hesitated, leading to an awkward silence.

“But what Zach? You don’t think you can get away? Your parents don’t want you to see me? What is it? Something’s wrong, I can tell. What’s going on?”

“Frankie, there’s something I have to tell you,” Zach let out a big sigh, “I’m sort of seeing someone…”

Frankie was stunned speechless. He literally had no words. Sure, he and Zach weren’t officially together but they had some pretty intense times together since Big Brother ended and their liaisons in New York in the past month were anything but platonic.  No matter what was going on with them emotionally, when they were physically in the same space they were obsessed with each other. Their chemistry was off the charts, and Frankie knew Zach couldn’t deny that.

“Who is it Zach? What’s his name? Why would you start dating someone else?”

“Well, um… _her_ name is Julia. She’s someone I knew from high school. We were good friends but when we saw each other recently, there was an attraction and we kind of want to see where it goes…”

“HER? You’re seeing a girl? Zach, you as much as admitted to me that you’re gay.  Not just Frankiesexual, not bi, not pan. GAY. Why would you start seeing a girl?” Frankie was so angry he was seeing red.

“Frankie, I said I wasn’t sure about my sexuality. Look you know I love you but I…”  Zach didn’t even know how to finish that sentence. He left it hanging.

“So does this mean you’re not coming back to New York? You’re just gonna stay in Florida, live with your parents, play golf, and Snapchat pictures of Tiger? Oh and go out with a girl and pretend to be straight? Honestly Zach I don’t even know what to say.”

“I’m sorry Frankie. I love you.  I don’t know about New York. Florida is my home; my family is here. So it’s all up in the air. But I hope you and I stay friends and get past this. You’re the funniest smartest person I know and –“

“Save it Zach. FUCK you. I’m done. You’ve put me through an emotional roller coaster and I am fucking over it. I know it’s been hard for you, I know you don’t want to come out right now and it’s hard to face that with such a big public following. I have really tried to honor that and protect your privacy, our privacy. But dating a girl?  You’re fooling yourself and you and I both know it. Enjoy your budding romance with Julia. Maybe you can get her to wear a strap on and fuck you in the ass just how you like it.”

Frankie hung up his phone and threw it across the room. Thankfully it landed on a pillow and didn’t break.  He was so angry he didn’t know what to do. He dropped onto his bed, burying his head under his pillows.  Hoping his voice was muffled, he screamed out FUCCCCKKKK!!! 

 

**Zach**

Zach hung up his phone and buried his head in his hands, threading his fingers through his hair. He squeezed his eyes shut hoping to prevent the tears that were pooling from falling down his face. He was so confused. Yes he loved Frankie. Loved him. Felt an attraction to him unlike any other he’d ever had in his life. It wasn’t that he hadn’t been attracted to men before. He knew that he fell somewhere in the middle of the Kinsey Scale. Yes there had been some making out with guys in college and a couple hurried sloppy hand jobs. But he still identified as straight. Even if he wasn’t obsessed with girls the way his buddies were, he definitely had game when it came to meeting women and he could get it up when he needed to.

And it wasn’t _bad_ having sex with women. It was… nice. He just figured he hadn’t met the right girl yet. And when he did and when he felt a deep love, then the chemistry and the passion would come, Zach was sure of it.  Julia was a sweetheart. First off she was a smoke bomb with a killer body. She liked golfing and hanging out at the beach. They had fun together.  She was smart. Not particularly funny (like Frankie) but she thought Zach was funny so that was almost as good. Right? Zach tried to shake off his sadness. He sent Julia a text

Zach: _Hey what are you doing tonight? Wanna go get a bite?_

Julia: _Sure._

Zach _: Okay I’ll be by to pick you up in 45 minutes._

Zach yelled out to his mom, “Hey Ma, can I use the car? I’m going out with Julia.”

Zach couldn’t help but grimace when he heard the delight in his mom’s voice as she ran to his room to give him the keys. His parents knew a little bit of what had gone with Frankie, both from what had been plastered on social media and from what he told them.  Which was that he and Frankie had a very special relationship, that Zach did feel an attraction to him, but that Zach was still straight. As for what they saw online like the 54 Below show, the infamous Snapchat video, and other things, they just didn’t talk about it.

Zach took Julia to Chipotle. He hadn’t had it in two days and was going through withdrawals.  After dinner, as they walked back to the car Julia asked if he wanted to hang out at her apartment. Zach tried to hide his nerves as he “eagerly” agreed.

Julia brought him a beer as he sat on the sofa watching ESPN. He muted the sound and Julia curled up next to him, leaning into his neck. They had already made out a couple times so Zach leaned in for a kiss. It was nice. She had soft lips and a sweet kiss. Zach closed his eyes as he gently probed her mouth with his tongue. Julia moaned and ran her hands up Zach’s arms, pulling him on top of her. They groped each other, as Julia wrapped her legs around Zach and pulled him toward her, grinding her hips into his.  It was nice. “I can do this,” Zach thought. “This feels good. This is perfect.” He shooed away any feelings of doubt, as he reached under her shirt, pushed away her bra and cupped her breast, teasing her nipple. He got pleasure from her pleasure even if he had to admit that he was half hard if that.

Julia sat up and took his hand, leading him into her bedroom.  Zach downed the rest of his beer as he followed, feeling that a little liquid courage wouldn’t hurt.

The sex was… fine. It wasn’t great. Zach couldn’t finish but at least he had gotten hard. He told Julia he was exhausted from getting little sleep last night and it was just a fluke. She seemed to enjoy the sex although there weren’t any fireworks for her either. But afterwards, they laid together, cuddling and stroking each other's arms. And that was nice, Zach thought. They talked about kids they knew in high school, she laughed loudly as Zach imitated some of their old classmates and told stories of his youthful exploits.

As Julia tried to stifle a yawn, Zach took that as a sign that it was time to go. He got dressed and Julia walked him to the door, giving him a sweet kiss as he left.

Zach climbed in the car, put his hands on the wheel and took a deep breath. Without warning, his eyes began to sting as tears spilled down his cheeks. He dropped his head to the steering wheel letting the feelings of sadness and helplessness wash over him.  Who was he fooling? He wasn’t straight. He was forcing himself to fit a mold that others expected of him.  It wasn’t fair to him. It certainly wasn’t fair to Julia. She deserved better. 

He panicked. “What have I done?” He frantically pulled out his phone and tried to call Frankie but there was no answer. He sent a text, “Frankie, please call me. I made a mistake. We need to talk. Please.” There was still no response. Zach took a deep breath, turned the key in the ignition and headed home. He had to think of a way to fix this.

 

**Frankie**

After Frankie had his mini freak out in his room, he pulled himself together and decided there was no way he was going to sit around pining after a sexually confused frat boy who had done nothing but drive him crazy for months.  He was going OUT. He was Frankie Grande, the hot sexy gay brother of Ariana Grande, an up and coming Hollywood and Broadway celebrity.  There was no question his star had risen exponentially since Big Brother ended. He was recognized far more often than ever before, and his Grandtourage was obsessed with him.  He knew he looked good, and he was exuding confidence and sexuality. He threw on tight black jeans, a black glitter accessorized tank top and a black leather coat. With his flaming red-tipped hair cut, he looked hot and he knew it.

The uber dropped him at the hottest gay club in Hollywood. He walked to the front of the line and was escorted right in. After a couple drinks, Frankie hit the dance floor.  He was in his element. He was being approached all night by one man after another, each one hotter than the next.   Finally he settled on Seth, a tan built man with sandy blonde hair, smoking green eyes and strong muscular arms, tatted up and down. A little bit of Caleb, very little of Zach. That was intentional. Rather than take him home, Frankie booked a room at a nearby hotel and they walked over.

Seth didn’t waste any time.  He pushed Frankie against the door as soon as they entered the room, crashing his mouth onto Frankie’s and grabbing his ass, grinding their hips together.  Frankie could hardly catch his breath. Within moments they had both stripped their clothes off and were a mangled pile of limbs writhing on the bed. The sex was hard and needy. Frankie bottomed and was quite literally fucked into the mattress. Like animals in heat they worked themselves into a frenzy.  Frankie’s mind was empty as he focused purely on the need for physical release. Seth reached around and grabbed his cock, and Frankie focused on nothing but the physical sensation until he came into Seth’s hand.  A few more thrusts and Seth loudly groaned, filling the condom. As Seth rolled off Frankie to dispose of the condom, Frankie got up and went into the bathroom to clean himself up.

He looked into the mirror shocked to see that his eyes looked cold and dead. He felt dirty and empty.  There was no way he could stay in this hotel tonight. He took a deep breath, grabbed some towels and plastered a smile on his face as he headed back to the room.

“Hey Seth. Listen. I know this is weird. But I can’t stay here tonight. I really need to be home to help Ari out first thing in the morning.  I hope that’s not weird. But you go ahead and stay the night, order room service, whatever. The room is paid for. Enjoy.”

Seth looked at him oddly but then shrugged and said “okay.” Frankie called for an uber then got dressed, gave Seth a kiss goodbye, and left.  They both knew this was a one night thing and didn’t even bother to exchange numbers. In the elevator on the way down to the lobby Frankie had to fight back tears. What was wrong with him? He was the guy who had slept with over 150 men. He did one-night stands like a pro. He was good at this; this was his thing.

Once in the uber, he pulled out his phone to check messages and texts. There it was. Zach, pleading for him to call, saying he made a mistake. Blah blah blah. Frankie had been to this rodeo one too many times. His heart hardened, he deleted the voice mail and ignored the text. He was done. He would go to Florida, spend a day with Nonna, then get back to New York and to his life. Zach could marry Julia and have babies, whatever he wanted. As long as he stayed the fuck away from Frankie.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zach is ready to face reality. He has heart to heart conversations with both Julia and his mom. Then figures out a way to force Frankie to see him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I promised this chapter would be Frankie in Florida, but first Zach needed to deal with a couple things...

@FrankieJGrande _I’m freezing in Chicago. It’s WAY below zero here. I’m sorry. I’m out. I think this is the perfect time to go see my Nonna in FL!_

 

Zach sighed in relief. Frankie was on his way. To Florida. Finally. 

No they hadn’t made up yet, but Zach had spent the past few days putting all the pieces in place to make it happen.

The morning after his date with Julia, he sent her a text asking her to meet him at Starbucks for coffee.  He said he needed to talk.  Zach found a private table in the corner and was waiting with both of their coffees when Julia arrived.

“Hey, so listen,” Zach began, “I don’t know how to say this, but…”

“It’s okay Zach,” Julia interrupted, “I could sense it too. The chemistry. It’s just not there for us is it? I mean I enjoyed being with you but honestly the cuddling and laughing afterwards was the highlight of the night.”

Zach let out a sigh of relief that she was being so cool about this. He decided to go for broke. He had sworn to himself he wasn’t going to hide who he was anymore so he might as well start with Julia.

“The thing is… I think I’m gay.”

Julia laughed, “You _think_ you’re gay? Isn’t that something you know or don’t know? It’s okay Zach, I’m certainly not going to judge you. And I can’t say I’m all that surprised.”

“Really? Why not?” Zach was a little insulted to be honest.

“Well when we talked about the whole Zankie situation, you said that the fans were totally delusional, that you and Frankie were just close friends, and it was nothing more than that.  So I took your word for it. But the truth is, I’m not blind. I’ve been following you on social media since Big Brother. I’ve seen the same thing that all your fans have seen and at times it looked like a lot more than friends. And to be honest, when we’ve hung out I got the sense that you weren’t all that comfortable with the romantic side of our relationship. So…”

“I’m sorry, Julia. It was really shitty of me to lead you on, but I honestly thought that this could turn into something. I really like you. You’re a smoke bomb and you’re smart and I love hanging out with you. But after I left last night, it just hit me. I can’t force myself to be straight. I knew I was being unfair to you and feel like such an asshole.

“Oh it’s okay,” Julia laughed, “The truth is I haven’t gotten laid in a long time and I just wanted some action! Even though I sort of knew that something was missing, I was willing to put that aside and give it a go. Believe me, I’ve had worse. It was fun. No harm no foul.”

Zach was so relieved that Julia was completely fine with this. He reached over and pulled her into a big bear hug.

“So where do things stand with you and Frankie?” she asked. “I assume that your relationship isn’t exactly as platonic as you led me to believe,” she added with a wink.

Zach sighed and gave her the Spark Notes version of where things stood. He told her that he knew he’d hurt Frankie badly when he told him about dating Julia and that Frankie wasn’t speaking to him or replying to his texts. Julia encouraged him not to give up.

“I’ll tell you a secret… I’m kind of a Zankie fan myself! It’s hard not to be when seeing all of the fan video tributes or watching snippets from the live feeds. The two of you are magic together…”

Zach laughed. Even his potential girlfriend wanted him with Frankie. It seemed like the forces of the universe weren’t going to let this thing die.

Zach walked Julia to her car and gave her another hug goodbye. He promised to keep her updated on how things went with Frankie. He was so thankful that she had been so cool about everything. And, hey, she said she’d had worse sexual experiences so he considered that a win!

When he got home, his mom was the only one there; she was working at home that day. Peyton was at school and his dad was out. Zach decided it was time to face the music with his mom too.

He walked into her office, “Hey Mom, I’m home.”

“Oh hey Zach. How was your coffee date with Julia? And how did it go last night?” She was so eager and excited that Zach almost chickened out. But then he remembered. No more avoiding the truth.

“Mom, can I talk to you?”

“Of course, honey, what’s the matter?” Jill turned away from her computer and focused all her attention on Zach.

Zach plopped down on the sofa. “Well, Julia and I had a nice time last night. But I had coffee with her this morning to tell her that I just didn’t think it was going to work out.”

“What?” Jill asked in surprise. “You just started dating, how can you know that already? She’s such a sweet girl, she’s smart, and you two get along so well.  Zachary, you need to give these things a chance. Why are you so impat—“

“MOM! Stop! I’m gay!!”

Jill sat in stunned silence, her jaw hanging open, not sure how to respond. It wasn’t that this was a complete surprise after everything that Zach had been through for the past nine months. But Zach insisted to her and Kevin that he was straight, regardless of what may have happened with Frankie.  In the recesses of her mind, Jill had wondered. The video that came out of Frankie’s 54 Below show or the Snapchat that Zach had posted then deleted… they made her wonder. But if Zach said he was straight, then Jill took him at his word.

“Zach, you’ve told your dad and me for months now that you’re straight, that you’re attracted to women.  Did something happen that changed your mind? Are you sure about this?”

“Yes Mom, I’m sure.  I’m gay.  Frankie and I have been, um, intimate on and off since Big Brother ended. And to be honest, I experimented in college a little too. I didn’t tell you because, first of all, I was confused about the whole thing, but secondly, I know you and Dad don’t like Frankie and you think he’s trying to turn me gay or something. And that was a fight I didn’t want to have.”

Jill paused, and took a deep breath wanting to choose her words very carefully. She leaned in close and made sure she had eye contact with Zach.

“Zachary I want you to listen to me. I couldn’t care less if you’re gay or straight or bi or whatever other sexuality is out there that I’ve never heard of. I’ve always said that love is love and you know how much I’ve supported gay rights for years.   I’m your mom. I want you to be happy, period, bottom line.”

“And I don’t dislike Frankie, nor do I think he is trying to turn you gay or has impacted this decision. Give me some credit. I know enough about sexuality to know that no one can force you to be attracted to one sex or the other.”  She paused. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t have some concerns about Frankie.”

“See I _knew_ it!” Zach exploded. “You hate Frankie. Well that’s too bad, Mom, because I love him and I’m going get him back and you are just going to have to deal with it and deal with him!”

“ZACH STOP!!!” I don’t hate Frankie. That’s ludicrous. I hardly know him well enough to love or hate him to be honest. He seems like an amazing man who exudes love and positivity. And I know that he cares about you deeply. My concern is… I’m not sure he appreciates you for the strong man that you are. From what I witnessed during the summer and from the little I’ve seen since you’ve been out of the house, there seems to be this dynamic between you two where he is the mature, all-knowing wise one and you are the young, immature lunatic who needs to be taken care of.  But that’s not fair. You are a brilliant man, you’re creative, you’re dynamic, and you are strong. I hate for him to pinhole you into someone who needs to be taken care of because honestly that’s not a good foundation for a relationship. You need to be able to take care of each other. Sometimes he will need you to be strong for him.”

Zach opened his mouth to argue but then sat back on the sofa an thought about what his mom had said. She actually had a point. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized that this was not only a critical point but it was a window into how he could get Frankie back. Being the wishy-washy whiney immature frat boy wasn’t going to work. Zach knew what he wanted and he knew he would find a way to get it.

“And one more thing, Zach,” Jill added, “Don’t get lost in Frankie’s shadow. Yes he is incredibly talented and he is a celebrity who is used to being the center of attention. But you are special too. It’s no accident that you are one of the most popular Big Brother houseguests ever. You have a magical ability to be entertaining without even trying. And you’re an incredible listener. I don’t know what you’ll end up doing in life, but you should never be in anyone’s shadow.”

“Mom, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you’re right. You’re fucking right. It’s not that Frankie doesn’t respect or appreciate me. It’s just that we’ve fallen into this pattern where he’s the more stable one and I’m all over the place. He said over the summer that he liked cleaning up my messes and that I was a lunatic but I was his lunatic. But I don’t want to be the messy lunatic.”

Zach gave his mom a recap of what was happening with Frankie and how Zach feared he had completely blown it but was trying to think of a way to get Frankie back, knowing he would be in Florida in a couple days.

He used his mom as a sounding board for all the ideas he had. Clearly Frankie wasn’t going to talk to him or reply to his texts. Trying to air things on social media and getting the fans involved could very easily backfire. Zach could text Ariana and try to get her help but she was about to launch her worldwide tour; Zankie was the last thing she needed to deal with. Same with Joan.

Nonna. That was it. Nonna had a soft spot in her heart for Zach and he knew it. Frankie was coming to see her, so maybe she would help him at least get a foot in the door, both literally and figuratively.

Zach spent the next couple days reaching out to Nonna and laying out his plan. Thankfully she was thrilled to hear from him. She told Zach that she knew, just knew, that Frankie loved him and she was all about supporting love.  She was a little nervous about setting this up behind Frankie’s back. But then again, Frankie loved his Nonna and she was quite sure he would forgive him, especially after Zach won him back. 

“Zach, let me tell you something. Frank & I were married for many years. He was the love of my life. But I don’t want you to think that it was always easy. Relationships are work; marriage can be hard. We fought, we disagreed, we annoyed each other. ALL the time But at the end of the day, we were best friends. And we loved each other immeasurably. We knew that we would get through anything. If it’s right, it’s worth fighting for.”

So here it was, Friday. Frankie was on his way to Florida. It was a day later than he had originally told Zach, but he was in route. Zach was determined to make it a trip that Frankie would never forget.

 

@FrankieJGrande _made it through the cold… Over the ice….. And to Florida!!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zach conspires with Nonna to see Frankie. They have it out, then make up, only to have another wrench thrown into the mix. Thankfully they find their way back together and make up in the best way they know how.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter. It's really long and angsty, with some major smut at the end!!

Frankie began packing his things back into his carryon bag as the pilot announced the final descent into Florida.  He couldn’t wait to feel the warm sunshine on his shoulders and to wrap his arms around Nonna.  He forced himself to not think about the fact that Zach was in the same state, a short drive from Nonna’s. Frankie was nothing if not determined. When he set his mind to something, nothing could stop him. And right now he was determined to move on from Zach. He just wished everyone in his life was on the same page. When Ariana asked him if he had plans to see Zach in Florida, her response to his reply was rather annoying. 

“Well, believe it or not, Zach has a _GIRL_ friend,” Frankie said in disgust. 

Ari literally spit out the water she was drinking, coughing and sputtering as she tried to catch her breath. 

“What’s so funny?” Frankie asked, feeling not just a little bit annoyed. 

“A girlfriend? C’mon Frankie. Who does he think he’s fooling? Zach is not only not straight; he’s also madly in love with you! And you love him too. Just  talk to him and work things out.”

 “NO. I’m done, Ari. He’s actually been trying to call and text me, but I’m not replying. I’ve wasted months trying to make this thing work. I can’t do it anymore. I’m done with closeted men. There are too many gorgeous out gay men in the world for me to waste my time like this.” 

“Well that might be true, Frankie, but you’re in love with that closeted man and he loves you. Anyone who’s ever been in the same room with the two of you knows it.  And you fucking know it too.” 

Frankie just glared at her and walked out of the room, essentially putting an end to the conversation. 

Responses from the few other people he confided in were similar. Lauren, Dom, JonErik … all of them expressed doubt that it was really over between him and Zach.  Well he would show them. 

Frankie and Ari's dogs were soon settled into the car that would take him to the Grande Florida home.  He sat back and closed his eyes, looking forward to some quality time with Nonna.  He pushed everything else out of his mind. 

**Zach**

A couple hours after Frankie’s plane had landed, Zach stepped out of his house and got into the uber that Nonna had arranged to pick him up.  He hoped that this plan worked. It was fairly simple and yet so many things could go wrong. He was relying on his charm and power of persuasion to overpower whatever protest Frankie put up.

 The car pulled up to Nonna's house and Zach got out.

 “Wait here; Mrs. Grande will be out in a few minutes,” he instructed the driver. 

Zach walked up to the front door, took a deep breath, and rang the doorbell. 

**Frankie**  

“This is the cutest puppy I’ve ever seen!” Frankie exclaimed. 

Frankie was completely relaxed and content. Nonna sat across from him as he cuddled with her puppy, Noel.  They had just finished lunch and was enjoying the peace and quiet of the afternoon. 

“Do you have any plans to see anyone while you’re here, Frankie?” Nonna asked. 

“Nope. I’m just here to visit with you. No one else.” 

Nonna met his eyes and gave him a knowing look. “Really Frankie? No one?” 

Frankie realized that Nonna must know Zach was in Florida. Maybe Ari or Mommy had told her. Regardless he didn’t want to get into it. “Nonna, I’m just here to see you. That’s it,” he said firmly. 

“Okay, okay I get it.”  Nonna was nervous. She knew what was about to happen, and she hoped that Frankie would forgive her. 

A couple minutes later the doorbell rang and Nonna jumped up quickly. Frankie looked at her quizzically.  Nonna generally didn’t get visitors in the middle of the day. 

“Are you expecting someone?” 

“Um yes.  The gardener said he was coming by to pick up his check.  I’ll just be a moment.” 

Nonna quickly went to the front hallway, grabbing her purse from the table next to the door.  She opened the door, gave Zach a quick hug, and whispered, “He’s not going to be happy to see you, Zach. Good luck and be patient with him.” 

Nonna walked toward the uber, ready for a couple hours at the mall. 

Zach quietly walked toward the living room. His heart was in his throat as he saw Frankie sitting on the sofa nuzzling his face into Noel’s neck.  Zach stood silently, not quite ready for Frankie to notice him.  He was so nervous his legs were literally shaking. 

Frankie must have sensed his presence because he looked up suddenly, expecting to see Nonna.  His eyes shot wide open and he jumped up from the couch, sending Noel tumbling to the ground. 

“ZACH?! What the fuck are you doing here? I don’t want to see you. I told you, I’m DONE! Nonna. NONNA, where are you?” 

“Frankie,” Zach said quietly, “She’s gone. She went out to give us a chance to talk.” 

“What are you talking about? She just went to the door to pay the gardener How did you get in anyway?” 

“Um... Well I’d like to introduce myself; I’m Nonna’s new gardener,” Zach tried for a light joke. Judging from Frankie’s enraged face, it fell flat. 

Frankie realized what was happening. Clearly Zach had conspired with Nonna to see Frankie.  He was enraged. How dare he? How dare SHE? What was Nonna thinking?!

 Zach continued, “Frankie, I know you’re furious. I know I’m the last person you want to see. But I’m here so you might as well just listen.”

 Frankie just glared at him, his arms crossed over his chest and his legs crossed as he sat back on the sofa. He didn’t say anything, just waited for Zach to continue. 

Zach took a deep breath. This was it. 

“Frankie, look. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for all my indecision over the past few months. I’m sorry for hurting you, especially last week when I told you about Julia.  And… well, you were right. I, um, I’m… gay. I ended it with Julia and told her everything. She even told me she wasn’t surprised, which was kind of annoying.” 

Frankie let out a bitter chuckle, which Zach chose to ignore. 

“Did you make out with her, Zach? Did she give you a blowjob? Did you have sex?” 

Zach wasn’t sure why that mattered but he’d promised himself that he would be honest. 

“Yeah.  Well, we made out a couple times. And… we had sex once. But it wasn’t that great, and afterwards, I realized that I was making a huge mistake.” 

Frankie interrupted him, “I can’t believe you slept with her Zach! I know we weren’t ‘official,’ but honestly how could you do that? After the intensity we shared. How could you even let it get that far?” 

As Frankie was sputtering out this accusation at Zach, he shoved away any guilty feelings he had about Seth. That was different, he reasoned. He needed a physical release. It meant nothing. It was DIFFERENT. And besides he didn’t do it until Zach told him about Julia. 

“Look Frankie, I’m sorry. I know I hurt you. And I know I’ve been confusing. I can’t undo what’s already been done, I can just tell you that it’s all been part of my journey and I’m ready to move forward. I want to move forward. I love you, that has never changed. And you love me too. I know it. Don’t try to tell me otherwise. The sex with Julia happened once. It meant nothing. It was kind of a disaster to be honest.”

 “You _know_ that I love you?” Frankie sputtered. “You don’t know shit, Zach! Yeah I loved you but I’m done. I don’t trust you. You always do this. Tell me you’re in love with me, tell me you’re sorry, beg to move forward. What makes this time different? Why should I trust you this time?  I’ll answer that. I shouldn’t. Because you’ll just disappoint me again.” 

Zach was trying to hold it together but Frankie’s words were like daggers and he was slowly becoming enraged. 

“Hey Frankie. Fuck you!” Zach was pissed. “How dare you completely dismiss me! I’m not your naughty puppy dog. Give me a little bit of credit. And a little bit of respect for what I’m going through. When you came out, were you a public figure? Did you have hundreds of thousands of people questioning who you were and what your sexuality was? This hasn’t been easy for me. I’m doing the best I can. It’s a process. But you KNOW that I love you.” 

Frankie didn’t know what to say. He sat silently digesting Zach’s words.  Zach took advantage of the silence to continue. 

“And another thing. You know I think you’re amazing. You’re hilarious and brilliant. No doubt you’re on your way to greatness. But sometimes I feel like you don’t appreciate me for _my_ strengths. I’m not just a loser frat boy lunatic. I have a lot going for me too. I’m smart. I’m funny. I’m great with people and can start a conversation with anyone. It’s kind of effortless for me and I want to be appreciated for that. If we are going to have a successful relationship, then I need to know that you respect and admire me as much as I do you.” 

Frankie opened his mouth to respond but no words came out. Who was this guy? Where was his lunatic? 

Zach took a deep breath and walked over to the couch, seating himself right next to Frankie. Frankie tried to back away, but Zach grabbed him by the wrist and looked into his eyes. 

“Frankie I LOVE you. I know you love me. We’ve both commented privately and publicly that our meeting was destiny, was meant to happen. Our story isn’t over. I need you to forgive me, give me another chance.” 

He saw a flicker of warmth in Frankie’s eyes, replacing the cold hard anger. Zach took advantage of the moment to place his hands on Frankie’s face and gently kiss him. He pulled back after a moment but seeing no resistance kissed him again, this time more forcefully, probing his tongue into Frankie’s mouth and moving his hands to run up and down Frankie’s back. Frankie moaned into the kiss pulling Zach closer.  Frankie lay back on the sofa, pulling Zach on top of him. They pushed their hips against each other, both of them eager and aroused. 

Zach pulled back taking a deep breath. 

“Let’s go up to your room.” 

Frankie wordlessly took his hand and led him upstairs. Once they got into the room, Zach lunged for Frankie, but Frankie held him at arm’s length. 

“Zach, I’m so grimy from traveling. Let me take a quick shower and I’ll be right out.” 

“I’ll join you,” Zach suggested.

 

“No. Wait here. I’ll make it quick.” Frankie kissed Zach softly and pranced into the bathroom, looking seductively over his shoulder. 

Zach chuckled at his goofy boyfriend, then fell back on the bed to wait.  He pulled his phone out and started browsing Twitter to kill some time.  Uh oh. It looked like the Zankie fans were losing their minds again.  What was in this time, Zach wondered. What rumor had they pulled out of nowhere? 

Zach read through some of the tweets then sat up slowly as he realized what was causing all of the hysteria.  No way. It couldn’t be true. Could it? But there it was. Photographic evidence. Zach could not believe what he was seeing. 

Frankie came out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel wrapped seductively below his waist as he struck a pose, “Well hello Daddy.” 

Zach looked at him with furor in his eyes. “Fuck you Frankie! How dare you make me feel so guilty about Julia. You’re a fucking hypocrite.”

 “Zach what are you talking about? Frankie asked, completely confused. “I love you, I… I don’t know what’s going on.” 

“Oh really.  Who’s SETH, Frankie? Does the name ring a bell?” 

Frankie’s heart sank. Shit.

 “Wh… what?  What are you talking about?” 

“Don’t even try Frankie. There’s a picture of the two of you dancing and making out at some club. And another of you walking into a hotel together. You’re a celebrity now, Frankie. People are watching you. Paparazzi. Welcome to fame! And fuck you!” 

“Oh come on, Zach!  Frankie was annoyed. “Yeah I went out the night you told me about Julia. I went out and I met someone and we had sex. It was meaningless. I was pissed and I did it. So what. You slept with Julia. We’re even” 

“We might be even Frankie, but you made me feel like shit earlier for having sex with Julia. _‘How could you let it go that far?’_ I believe were your exact words. You made me grovel for your forgiveness, but you did the exact same thing. That’s fucked up. You always want to make me out to be the crazy unstable one. I’m tired of it. I love you but it’s not gonna work if you can’t respect me enough to treat me like an equal and to level with me. 

Zach stood up and walked toward Frankie’s bedroom door. 

“Where are you going, Zach?” 

“I can’t stay Frankie. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe you’re right and it’s just not going to work with us.”

 

Frankie knew that if he let Zach walk out that door, it would be over for good. And the thought of that possibility filled him with fear and unbearable sadness. 

“Zach… wait.” Frankie said softly. “Please don’t go. I’m sorry. You’re right. Please. I love you so much. I need you. Don’t go.” He tried to hold back his tears, but a loud sob escaped as he covered his mouth with his hands. 

Zach stopped at the door but didn’t turn around right away. Frankie walked over and wrapped his arms around him from behind, kissing the back of his neck, as a few tears spilled down his cheeks onto Zach’s shoulder. 

“Zach I’m so sorry. I should’ve told you about Seth. I shouldn’t have made you feel so guilty about Julia. That was shitty of me. You have every right to be pissed. And… I want you to know, I think you’re amazing. I didn’t just fall in love with you last summer because you’re hot. You mesmerized me. You’re funny and charming without even knowing it. Your personality is magnetic and people want to be around you, even when you can be maddening. I know that when you figure out which path to take in life, you will be incredibly successful and no one will be happier for you than me.” 

Zach turned around to face Frankie, looking deep into his eyes. He loved this man so much, there was no way he could walk out that door.  He leaned in and kissed Frankie deeply, pushing him  toward the bed. Frankie fell back onto the mattress and Zach crawled on top of him.

 He moved his lips from Frankie’s mouth, kissing his neck and then his chest. Zach kissed his way down Frankie’s body, easily removing the towel and gazing lustfully at Frankie’s chiseled abs and small tight hips. Zach stood up and quickly removed his clothes, then lay back down next to Frankie, turning him so they were both on their sides. 

They began kissing again as they ran their hands up and down each other’s bodies, both already fully aroused. Frankie reached over to grab Zach’s cock, but Zack pushed his hand away.

 “No lie back. Let me.” 

Frankie looked surprised by this newly dominant Zach but lay back and let Zach take control.  Zach was still on his side gazing into Frankie’s eyes as his hands teased Frankie’s stomach and inner thighs.  Frankie was visibly turned on as his breathing got shallow and he grabbed at the sheets in anticipation. Finally Zach wrapped his hand around Frankie’s cock, causing Frankie to groan, close his eyes and throw his head back.

 Zach moved down the bed and took Frankie’s pulsing cock into his mouth, licking his tongue around the head and moving his mouth down the shaft. He slowly languidly teased Frankie, playing with his balls and sucking and licking. But when it seemed that Frankie might actually come Zach pulled back. He moved up Frankie’s body and gave him a deep kiss. Frankie could taste himself on Zach’s tongue and eagerly kissed him back, pulling Zach’s ass closer to him trying to get friction. 

“Condom and lube?” Zach asked breathlessly. 

Frankie pointed to the nightstand. 

Although Zach had topped now and then, they had fallen into a pattern of Zach bottoming. And while Zach got great pleasure in either position, he realized that being a bottom all of the time played into their whole dynamic of Frankie being the dominant mature one while Zach was the one who needed taking care of.

 “I’m gonna fuck you Frankie, until you beg for mercy,” Zach growled. Frankie was both stunned and incredibly turned on by this side of Zach. He felt loved and desired in a way that he hadn’t experienced for awhile.

 Zach quickly put some lube on his fingers then moved to Frankie’s side once again looking into his eyes as he teased his finger around the hole, then inserted one finger into Frankie’s ass. Frankie moaned loudly as he felt the familiar fullness then cried out when Zach curled his finger and hit his prostate. When Zach inserted a second than third finger, Frankie began to come apart, fucking back against Zach’s hand.

 “Please Zach. I need you. Now. Please.” 

Zach removed his fingers and quickly rolled on a condom, coating it with lube. He lifted Frankie’s legs up above his shoulders then lined his cock up to Frankie’s hole and slowly pushed himself in. Frankie groaned loudly.  Zach stopped to let Frankie adjust to his girth then slowly pulled halfway out and thrust back in.  Frankie felt warm and tight around him and Zach was overwhelmed by the passion and physical pleasure he felt.  Zach tried to go slowly and carefully so as not to hurt Frankie, but after just a few moments they were both fucking each other with abandon.  Zach could see that Frankie wasn’t going to last much longer so he reached down and grabbed his cock. Within seconds, Frankie shot streaks of warm white liquid all over Zach’s hand and his own stomach. Seeing Frankie’s pleasure was all it took for Zach to shoot his load a moment later, filling the condom. He fell down onto Frankie’s chest trying to catch his breath. Both of them seemed to have lost the ability to speak as they tried to return to their senses. 

Zach finally pulled out, throwing away the condom and grabbing a towel from the bathroom for them to clean themselves off. 

Zach lay flat on his back, pulling Frankie to him so that Frankie’s head was on Zach’s chest and Zach was running his fingers up and down his back. 

Neither of them had spoken until Frankie finally said, “Well that just happened.” 

Zach burst out laughing, telling Frankie he was the funniest person he knew.  

Frankie asked softly, “So Zach, are you coming back to New York? I don’t think I can be apart from you for weeks or months at a time.” 

Zach smiled, “Of course I’m coming back to New York, you dingus. I was only there for a month; I still have many dreams to make come true. I always intended to go back, I just sort of lost my mind for a minute there with the whole Julia thing…” 

“I think we both lost our minds,” Frankie replied. “I really do love you and think you are an extraordinary man. I’m in this for the long haul; I want you to know that. Whatever you need to make this transition, I fully support you. I know it’s really difficult to come out under the best of circumstances, and doing it with a public following is crazy hard. So however you want to do it, I’m on board.” 

Zach thought about it for a moment, then reached over and grabbed his phone. "I'm all in too, Frankie," he said with a grin.  He opened the camera and took a selfie of them, with Frankie’s head resting on Zach’s naked chest as Zach playfully bit down on Frankie's ear, looking lustfully at the camera.  He uploaded the picture to Instagram and Twitter with the caption _#ZankieAF. Sail this ship to the moon and back!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this story! Please let me know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> Coming next ... Frankie goes to Florida determined to spend time with Nonna then get back to New York and start anew without any thoughts of Zach. 
> 
> Zach knows Frankie is in Florida and has to find a way to see him.


End file.
